Ireland for the Connoisseur

Itinerary

Days 1 & 2: Dublin

Arrive in Dublin where you will be met by a private car and transferred to the Westbury hotel. Enjoy a walk through Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street and Temple Bar. Maybe fit in a visit to the Guinness Brewery at St. James’ Gate for a taste of the real thing. Tonight, perhaps enjoy a visit to one or two pubs once frequented by Joyce, Wilde and Behan.

Explore Dublin City. Highlights include Trinity College and the Book of Kells, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Castle, the National Gallery and Dublin Museum of Modern Art. Enjoy shopping in the Grafton Street area with its many fashionable boutiques, followed by Guinness and oysters in Davy Byrnes. (Westbury hotel – 2-Nights)

Day 3: Dublin / Waterford

Drive south to Kildare and enjoy a guided tour of the Irish National Stud Farm and a visit to the Japanese Gardens. Continue to the medieval city of Kilkenny. Take a tour of Kilkenny Castle and shop at Kilkenny Design. Have lunch at Kytlers Inn. Continue to Waterford for your overnight stay at Arlington Lodge, once a bishops palace and long intertwined in the history of Waterford and its people. Tour Waterford City and visit the famous Waterford Crystal factory. (Athenaeum House Hotel, 1-Night)

Day 4: Waterford / Cork

Depart Waterford and drive to Cork. En route visit the historic seaport and market town of Youghal set attractively between hills and a broad expanse of the Backwater River. The nearby coastal town of Cobh was the departing point for many emigrants between 1750 and 1950 and the new Heritage Center recreates the experience.

Continue to Cork for your overnight stay. Tour Cork City and shop on Patrick Street. Cork is the cultural and economic capital of the south of Ireland. St Patrick’s Bridge, spanning the north channel of the River Lee, is a good point from which to begin a tour of the city.
(Hayfield Manor, 1-Night)

Days 5, 6 & 7: Cork / Kenmare / Killarney / Dingle

Visit famous Blarney Castle and kiss the stone of eloquence. Afterwards take a stroll through the gardens and see Badger Cave and the adjacent dungeons, which penetrate the rock at the base of the castle.

Then continue your drive west towards Kenmare. Take the scenic route through Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Bantry Bay. Arrive in Kenmare, a charming 17th century market town surrounded by the wild beauty of the Kerry Mountains. It once thrived on iron smelting, then became famous for lace and needlepoint. The town has plenty of old pubs, attractive shops selling crafts and gifts and good restaurants to suit every taste. The Park Hotel includes Samhas, one of the finest spas in Europe. You may also enjoy the option to participate in a cooking demonstration.

Drive to Killarney and visit Muckross House and Gardens surrounded by the Killarney lakes. Then drive to the majestic Dingle Peninsula, the setting for the film ‘Ryan’s Daughter’. See some of the most breath-taking views in Ireland at Slea Head and Connor Pass. There are a number of charming fishing villages dotted along the coast where you may wish to stop for lunch. (The Park Hotel, 3-Nights)

Days 8 & 9: Killarney / Clare

Depart Killarney and drive north towards Clare for your 2-night stay at Dromoland Castle, once the ancestral seat of the O’Briens. Dromoland is one of the most famous Baronial castles in Ireland and dates back to the 16th century. Stately halls, elegant public areas, and beautifully furnished guest rooms are steeped in a timeless atmosphere that is unique to Dromoland.

Also include a tour to the lunar-like Burren region, famous for its unique flora and fauna, geology, and archaeology. Perhaps visit Ailwee Cave, containing an underground river and waterfall.

Visit the impressive Cliffs of Moher which drops dramatically 700 feet crashing into the pounding Atlantic below. The cliffs extend along the majority of county Clare’s coastline. There are towers at either end, from which you will get excellent panoramic views. With the luck of the Irish, you may even see as far as the Aran Islands. (Dromoland Castle, 2-Nights)

Day 10: Depart Shannon

After a leisurely breakfast, drive to Shannon Airport and prepare for your flight home. Don’t forget to drop off your car rental.